A crewed gulet charter voyage
Türkiye — the Lycian Coast & Kekova Roads charter itinerary
Göcek to Kekova & Back — 8 Nights of Lycian Ruins
Eight nights out of Göcek, east to the Kekova roads and back, for a client who is here for the archaeology. The Byzantine churches of Gemiler, Xanthos and Letoon in the valley behind Kalkan, the theatre of Antiphellos at Kaş, the drowned harbour of Aperlae and the sunken city along Kekova island, Simena under its Crusader castle, the tombs of Teimiussa, Myra and the basilica of St Nicholas at Demre, the rock tombs of Telmessos above Fethiye, and a Roman bath house to swim into on the last night. It is a working week at sea — a little over 150 miles of it, with three days largely spent under way — and the quiet days are deliberately set after the heaviest sites.
The voyage at a glance
Day 1
Göcek to Gemiler Adası — St Nicholas
Day 2
Kalkan
Day 3
Xanthos & Letoon, then Kaş
Day 4
Aperlae, Kekova & the Sunken City
Day 5
Teimiussa, Myra & St Nicholas
Day 6
West to Yeşilköy Limanı
Day 7
Ölüdeniz
Day 8
Telmessos & Kleopatra Hamamı
Day 9
Göcek — disembarkation
Day 1
Göcek to Gemiler Adası — St Nicholas
Board at Göcek and head straight out of the gulf: this is a week that has to make its miles east, and the reward is on the first night. Gemiler is the island the Byzantines held to be the burial place of St Nicholas of Myra, and one of the most complete early Christian sites on the coast — five churches climbing the ridge, linked by a covered processional way nearly half a kilometre long, with mosaic floors and painted plaster still in place in the shade.
Ashore nearbyGöcek · Municipality of Gocek Marina · Nena Lounge Göcek · Latife Meyhane Göcek
Day 2
Kalkan
South-east along the open Lycian shore with the mountains dropping straight into deep water the whole way. Kalkan climbs its hillside above a small harbour in whitewash and bougainvillea; it is also the doorway to the Xanthos valley, which is where tomorrow goes.
Ashore nearbyTaş Ocağı Koyu · Kalkan Seyir Terası · Pello Kalkan Cafe & Breakfast · BLUE TERRACE RESTAURANT COCTAIL CAFE BAR & LOUNGE.
Day 3
Xanthos & Letoon, then Kaş
The morning inland to the two UNESCO sites at the heart of Lycia. Xanthos was the capital, twice destroyed by its own people rather than surrendered, its pillar tombs and inscribed obelisk still standing; Letoon a few kilometres on was the federal sanctuary, three temples side by side above a spring. Patara — the harbour and the council chamber where the Lycian League met — if the day runs long. Aboard in the afternoon for the short hop to Kaş, where Lycian sarcophagi stand in the streets and the theatre of Antiphellos looks west over the water.
Ashore nearbyKas photo spot · Kaş Old town · Olive Garden Kaş Kahvaltı · Etna Fish House
Day 4
Aperlae, Kekova & the Sunken City
The day the trip is built around. Aperlae first, a Lycian city whose harbour quarter slid into the sea — swim over walls, steps and doorways lying in three metres of water. Then along the north shore of Kekova Island itself, where the earthquake-drowned town runs for half a mile below the surface: staircases cut into the rock, house foundations, a slipway, all of it off-limits to swimmers and best read slowly from the deck. The night at Kaleköy, ancient Simena, under a Crusader castle with the smallest theatre in Lycia cut into the rock inside its walls, and sarcophagi standing in the shallows below the village.
Ashore nearbySimena Örenyeri · Ucagiz Kekova Castle · Gezgin Cafe Restaurant · Simena Restaurant
Day 5
Teimiussa, Myra & St Nicholas
A short move to Üçağız, built into the tombs of Teimiussa — rock-cut chambers and sarcophagi standing among the houses and running down into the water. Then east to Andriake, Myra's ancient harbour, where Hadrian's granary still stands, and inland to Myra itself: a Roman theatre in fine condition and a cliff face packed with house-type rock tombs above it, with the basilica of St Nicholas — the historical Santa Claus, bishop here in the 4th century — a few minutes further on. A quiet night at Gökkaya afterwards.
Ashore nearbySimena Örenyeri · Ucagiz Kekova Castle · Simena Restaurant · Smugglers Inn
Day 6
West to Yeşilköy Limanı
Turning for home along the Kekova roads and out past Kaş, with the mountains of the Teke peninsula the whole way. Yeşilköy is a deep, quiet inlet with room to swing and nothing ashore — a night off after three days of walking sites.
Ashore nearbyAkçagerme plajı · Gökseki Pidecisi Restaurant · Hills Kitchen
Day 7
Ölüdeniz
The long passage of the week, north-west up the coast past Kalkan and Kaputaş to anchor off Belcekız, with Babadağ above and paragliders coming off the summit all evening. The lagoon itself is a national park, so the night is spent on the seaward side.
Day 8
Telmessos & Kleopatra Hamamı
Into Fethiye for the morning, built over Telmessos, where the dead are still the most striking thing in the town: the Tomb of Amyntas cut into the cliff as an Ionic temple front around 350 BC, smaller tombs and sarcophagi at street corners below, and the museum with the trilingual stele that helped crack the Lycian language. On in the afternoon to the last night in Skopea Limanı, moored over the half-submerged walls of a Roman bath house you can swim down into and stand inside.
Ashore nearbyManzara Noktası · Sarsala Bay · Yörükoğlu Gözleme · KÖYLÜM TUĞBA GÖZLEME EVİ
Day 9
Göcek — disembarkation
A short morning hop back to Club Marina. Breakfast on board, then the plane trees and coffee houses of Göcek before the transfer.
Ashore nearbyGöcek · Municipality of Gocek Marina · Nena Lounge Göcek · Latife Meyhane Göcek
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